I wonder if folks might be able to give me information on Al-Musanna. Are there fitness centers there? Are there schools for sailing? How much is a flat? How about restaurants and hypermarkets? What is the general tenor of the place? All info much appreciated.

Al Musana'ah is a quiet town right on the ocean and is on the Sohar-Muscat expressway, which is convenient for trips to the capital. It's also not far away from Juzor Al Sawadi resort which is great for beach trips on the weekend.

Al Musana'ah is just down the highway from Barka, which is slightly larger and has more amenities. There are no fitness centers there (but there are a couple in Barka). There are no sailing schools: you're only options will be in Muscat which is an hour away.

My friend there paid OR 150/mo for a two bedroom flat, but had to buy her own aircons for it. It was a little run down, but she had lovely views of the ocean and the beach was literally three mins away.

Al Musana'a has the typical selection of hypermarkets and gift markets. You'll need to go to Muscat for many western products, but that shouldn't be a problem being only an hour's drive away. The same goes for restaurants. You'll have a nice selection of Indian and Pakistani restaurants along with several Lipton coffee shops to chose from, but if you want western or other ethnic restaurants you'll need to head to Muscat. (Barka does have a Domino's, but that's the only western establishment I know of in Barka.)